ab crunches, are they effective?

[BLAZING IN FL]

Re: ab crunches, are they effective?

I sucked my tummy in all day yesterday and i'm getting used to it now....makes my pants fit better.

[TitianWasp]

Re: ab crunches, are they effective?

Hey all,

Ok - reasons for doing crunches:

a) Prevent or ease back problems. A weak core (abdomen, obliques and lower back) is at the center of many people's back trouble. If these muscles are not strong, other, smaller muscles try to pick up the slack and they are not designed to keep you upright. Pain ensues.

b) Standing up straight burns more calories than slouching. Plain and simple: contracting larger muscle groups = higher metabolic rate overall (could not find exact percentage - assume slight, but slight adds up over time).

c) If the muscles in that region are tight, they restrict the amount of space in your midsection. Tight midsection gets uncomfortable if you eat too much. It's, again, a minor thing, but all these little elements add up.

So do your crunches, and better still, do reverse crunches (lay flat on your belly and raise your upper body like a seal - there are benches at the gym that make this less awkward) to work the lower back. Those of us who sit at a desk for any length of time each day will really notice a benefit from this.

[Alexa]

Re: ab crunches, are they effective?

I just wanted to add a few things.

I think I suck my stomach in all the time - because when I think about I can let it 'out' haha! Weird. For me as people above have explained well, it helps a lot with core strength, preventing backache which used to be terrible; also it makes you look slimmer, helps balance, aids other exercise.

Abs, sadly, don't tend to show unless you have a fairly low body fat, so I'm not expecting to see any ever, but I think situps have helped with a flatter stomach

hiyushoo - that was a great video! Thanks for sharing

[SugarFreeSheila]

Re: ab crunches, are they effective?

While I don't suck in my abdominals, which can look a bit constipated , I do hold them in - with shoulders back - as a habit. Regarding abdominal work (I do Pilates): your results should be visible once your body fat is low enough. Ever heard the old adage, "Abs are made in the kitchen?" So true when it comes to muscular definition. For a lot of us, it is necessary to burn the physique candle at both ends with both diet and fitness - and I am certainly not exempt from this!

[mitzimarie]

Re: ab crunches, are they effective?

Hi, Michelle

I'm cranking out the crunches, too. I think they are good.

Two of the main types of exercise that I do are pilates and Tae Bo. Contracting your abdominals (holding your tummy in) is very important in both. In fact, in the Tae Bo tape I have been using, Billy Blanks makes it a point to say that he will always stay on us about sucking in that stomach. It is necessary for a good core, and it improves your posture.

If you really concentrate on holding in that stomach for extended periods at a time, my bet is that you will start feeling skinnier and walking taller. Next time you're in the grocery store, challenge yourself to have it sucked in the whole time you're in there. If you're not used to doing it, it takes more effort than you might think.

[ttdriver]

Re: ab crunches, are they effective?

Probably to someone used to seeing the way young girls walk and stand nowadays, it would look odd.

The modern body stance seems to be tummy poking out and bottom out too forming a sort of 'S' shape when seen sideways on.

When I was a girl and at grammar school we were always told to keep our tummies sucked in and bottoms tucked under - I even wore a 'deportment badge' proudly for the time I was there because I have a naturally straight stance!

My pilates teacher told us that she has problems getting younger students to correct their stance by drawing their stomachs in and pelvic floor up but that it is important to do it to strengthen their 'core' and to avoid back problems in later life.

I absolutely HATE the way girls stand and walk these days. I think it looks positively hideous (yeah, I know, my age is showing here...) But seriously WHO looks good with their belly sticking out? Santa maybe.....

I have NOT worked this hard and run this far to have a protruding gut!



Betty

[BLAZING IN FL]

Re: ab crunches, are they effective?

I was looking at my dd today in Walmart and noticed that she does the belly out thing...funny huh? I remember when brittany spears stating doing that, she reminded me of a girl pregnant....i have faithfully been holding my tummy in for about 4 days and do see a difference in my overall posture.